Upbring, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Austin that provides foster care, adoption and education services, will operate the Head Start Preschool program in Nueces County after a local agency that offered Head Start services in the area since 1965 was denied new federal funding.
The Nueces County Community Action Agency will run the Birth-to-Five Head Start program, designed to foster the development of young children from low-income families, through the end of the year.
Earlier this year, the agency was investigated by the federal Administration for Children and Families, which oversees the Office of Head Start, for reports of children being left unsupervised at its child care centers. However, Linda Carrillo, CEO of the Nueces County agency, denied a connection between the investigation and the agency’s being denied a grant.
Upbring declined to answer the Caller-Times’ questions regarding the reason for the transition of Head Start services from NCCAA to Upbring.
The new grant, funded by the Office of Head Start, will enable Upbring to serve an additional 785 children, bringing the total number of children served by Upbring Head Start and Early Head Start Preschool to almost 2,250 statewide, the nonprofit said in a news release this month.
A total of 925 children are enrolled in the NCCAA Birth-to-Five Head Start Program, according to the agency’s website, with Head Start and Early Head Start programs offered at 15 centers across the county.
Many residents have been left wondering about the future of the program now that it will be overseen by another organization.
In a statement to the Caller-Times on Friday, Valerie Villarreal, a spokesperson for Upbring, said that the nonprofit is fully committed to ensuring a smooth process that meets the community’s needs.
“We extend our gratitude to the Nueces County Community Action Agency for connecting Upbring with the community organizations they have partnered with in the past,” she said. “This collaboration enables us to continue providing vital support to the children and families of Nueces County.”
To share details about the Upbring program and employment opportunities, Upbring will meet with current Head Start staff on Sept. 27. In addition, the group will hold a parent town hall on the night of Oct. 7 to provide updates and answer questions, Villarreal said.
Upbring is working closely with the Nueces County Community Action Agency to obtain contact information and will begin sharing updates through the Remind email and texting program, she added.
“Rest assured, we are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of safety and care,” Villarreal said. “Our focus is on creating a nurturing, high-quality learning environment for the children and families of Nueces County, and we are excited about the opportunity to continue providing these essential services to the community.”
With the expansion into Corpus Christi and the surrounding area, the organization will welcome up to 225 new “Head Start Warriors” — staff members who provide trauma-informed education and care to the children and families in its programs.
What to know about Upbring
Upbring’s Head Start Preschool Program currently operates at 26 locations throughout South and Southeast Texas counties, including Bee, Bexar, Goliad, Live Oak and Refugio, as well as the northern part of the state near Fort Worth and Dallas, giving children from low-income families, many of whom live in foster care or who qualify as homeless, a place to learn fundamental skills to prepare them for kindergarten.
The program is free to eligible families.
Upbring received two grant awards from the Office of Head Start — one for $3.85 million and another for about $4 million — that will go toward Head Start and Early Head Start programs, according to open government data on the USA Spending website.
Both grants are in progress and are set to expire in 2029.
The organization, originally known as Lutheran Social Services of the South, was designated by the federal government in 2015 to provide childhood development programs in four Southeast Texas centers — Wharton, El Campo, Palacios and Bay City.
Upbring won a Head Start award in 2015, and the program has since expanded from those four locations to different regions of Texas.
In addition to Head Start, Upbring also offers opportunities for foster care, community services, help for unaccompanied minors and residential treatment at children’s centers.
More: Nueces County nonprofit’s future unclear without Head Start funding in 2025
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Austin nonprofit will oversee Nueces County Head Start program in 2025
